1946 John Deere B

[oldfarmall]

So I traded an air compressor for a John Deere B from my buddy. He bought the tractor from a friend of mine. We got it running, after it sat for probably close to 40 years. It has sat at my place for the last year or so, and my friend lost interest, so we did the swap. Now I own it. Want to run it more and test out, but the upper water pipe is rotted out all the way to the manifold, and I have not tested radiator to see if it holds water yet. Questions I have:


1. How long can I safely run this engine to move the tractor around and adjust carb without coolant?

2. Tried to loosen upper water pipe manifold bolts at the engine, but they seem froze. Are these prone to rusting tight and snapping off?

This is a big learning curve for me, as my other tractors are all Farmalls, but I am excited to get it up and going. Appreciate any advice in arvance. Thanks!

Jesse

 

[greenmech]

Use heat on the nuts and if they break weld a washer and nut on the stud and it will come out. I do have a water pipe that is for your B Ron MN

 

[oldfarmall]

Thanks for the info. Mine has no nuts that hold the upper water pipe manifold on. It has bolts that bolt hold it to the block. Would this be the same?

I see the exhaust/intake manifold has nuts and washers with studs that attach to the block, but not the upper water pipe.

 

[coonie minnie]

Don't run the tractor without coolant.

 

[NoDakInMN]

While the tractor can be run for a very short period without coolant, we are talking seconds not minutes and trying to do so to set the carb is way, way, way too long.

People say this all the time, but that's because it is true, manuals are your friend. Operators' manual, shop manual and parts manual are all things you will find extremely useful.

 

[MSD]

Pour some water in the water pipe and run it. We have pulling tractors that have no water in the block. I ran no water in the head of my 944 cube G for 2 years
with no problem. Feel the block and head to see when they get warm and quit then.

 

[Mark-Ia]

use some heat on those bolts. Will probably screw right out. I think if you had studs with nuts you'd have to remove the fanshaft. Take Greenmech offer for the pipe, He's a great guy.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

If the lower pipe and radiator will hold water put in as much as you can. It will be ok for a short run.

 

[rustred]

as said fill it with water till it starts running out that will do it. i had to replace a couple of them upper water pipes on AR'S no longer
available from j.d. had them made at the muffler shop. then glued them in with JB weld. worked perfectly. yes them bolts will snap off thats
why i did not remove it from the block. 30 seconds without coolant is about as long as you want to run it. the head will get pretty warm in
that time. and u can feel the outside all you want but its inside the combustion chamber is where its way hotter. and with tight new
clearances the pistons will expand and seize in the block and score is what happens.

 

[Old weldor]

I had a B with the same problem. I removed that pipe and took it to a muffler shop. There was still some solid pipe next to the base. The
shop owner made me a new pipe & expanded it on the base end and bent it with his exhaust pipe bender so it was the exact same curvature
as the original. I left a stub sticking out of the base and cut the rest of the old rotted pipe off. It slipped over the stub end and I wire welded
it. It fit the tractor perfectly and you could not tell it! Painted it JD green and all was well! It worked for me!

 

[oldfarmall]

Unfortunately, the bottom of my upper water pipe is rotted out all the way back to the manifold. Has anyone removed the old water pipe from cast iron manifold and ran a pipe tap into the ID, then thread a pipe nipple into the manifold? Not looking forward to snaping off the bolts that hold the upper water pipe manifold to the block. Thanks

-Jesse

 

[Pete in MD]

Jesse,

I've never seen the casting tapped for a pipe nipple.

If you don't want to remove the casting consider replacing just the pipe. The JD P/N is B1807R which
subs to AB2740R, still available price unknown. YT parts doesn't have the pipe. Steiner has the pipe
with their p/n JDS707 for about $75 in my 2 year old catalog.

There's an easy way to remove what's left of the pipe from the casting. Post back if you don't know
it.

 

[oldfarmall]

(quoted from post at 17:28:33 11/08/23) Jesse,

I've never seen the casting tapped for a pipe nipple.

If you don't want to remove the casting consider replacing just the pipe. The JD P/N is B1807R which
subs to AB2740R, still available price unknown. YT parts doesn't have the pipe. Steiner has the pipe
with their p/n JDS707 for about $75 in my 2 year old catalog.

There's an easy way to remove what's left of the pipe from the casting. Post back if you don't know
it.

I am not familiar with removing the pipe from the casting. What it the best way to remove it? Thanks for the info so far!

 

[rustred]

Cut the pipe off flush with the manifold housing. This
pipe is brazed in. You can use a dremel tool and grind
some out. Then get a cold chizel and work it around and
peel the old piece out. Then clean up the inside with the
Dremel grinder and use j b weld to glue it back in. I did 2
like that. But I had a spare water manifold off I took with
me to the muffler shop to have it fitted by expanding it a
bit on the end. Plus put the bend in it. I can post a pic
Tommorrow.

 

[oldfarmall]

Hi Ron,how do I get ahold of you? Private messaging doesnt work. I got the upper water pipe off e the engine. You said you had a water pipe. Thanks

-Jesse